Current tanks and wind tunnels have been used to test the effects of a flowing fluid on a test apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,813 discloses a transportable three-dimensional calibration wind tunnel system which is comprised of a small wind tunnel portion for creating a three-dimensional calibration air having a suitable wind velocity, and a two-axis rotational deformation device portion for causing said wind tunnel portion to effect a conical motion with a nozzle blow port being an apex to suitably change a flow angle. The two-axis rotational deformation device is comprised of a B-angle rotational deformation device having a B-angle deformation base supported to be rotated horizontally, and an A-angle rotational deformation device having an A-angle deformation base supported to be rotated vertically. A rotational axis of the A-angle deformation base, a rotational axis of the B-angle deformation base and a center axis of the small wind tunnel portion are arranged so that they intersect at a point. In a method for the verification of a flight control system of an aircraft using the transportable three-dimensional calibration wind tunnel system, the nozzle blow port of the three-dimensional calibration wind tunnel system is positioned at the extreme end of an air data sensor probe provided on the aircraft, and the three-dimensional calibration wind tunnel system and an on-board control computer of the aircraft are connected to an out-board control computer so that a suitable three-dimensional airflow is generated by the three-dimensional calibration wind tunnel system to verify the operation and function of the control surface in the stopped state on the ground.
Co-pending patent application having Ser. No. 60/771,647, was filed Feb. 9, 2006, and discloses a current tank system comprising a first current tank adapted to produce a first current in a first direction, and a second current tank adapted to produce a second current in a second direction. There is also disclosed a method of testing a sample, comprising exposing the sample to a first current in a first current tank, and exposing the sample to a second current in a second current tank. Patent application having Ser. No. 60/771,647 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Current tanks and wind tunnels have the limitation that they are not able to create multi-dimensional flow as would be encountered if an apparatus were subjected to multi-dimensional air currents and/or water currents. There is a need in the art to simulate multi-dimensional flow.